CategoryDiet and Nutrition Archives - Knope Clinic

On some level, I would like to believe that I am a compassionate man. I really do care about people. However, I do not operate under the delusion that I was endowed with a copy of the Mother Theresa gene. When problem solving – especially when dealing with weight loss, smoking cessation, or substance abuse – I take a rather direct approach with my patients. As a result, I have been told on more than one occasion that I am “mean.” Really?!… Read the rest

For those of you who have read my previous blogs, you are familiar with my stance on vitamins, supplements, and “alternative medicine.” Though this topic is an entertaining example of human folly, taking untested supplements carries some real risks. Unlike the act of believing in Santa Claus, believing in untested substances is far from harmless. When you go down this path you are ingesting compounds that quite literally alter your body chemistry.

Speaking of Santa Claus and alternative medicine, for those of you who are new to my philosophy, I direct you to a short video in which I went toe-to-toe in a televised debate with Santa himself – none other than Dr.… Read the rest

There are few topics that create more confusion among people than the question of whether or not to take an aspirin every day to prevent a heart attack. If you do take an aspirin, what is the best dose? Should you take a full 325 mg adult aspirin tablet or an 81 mg baby aspirin? Should you perhaps compromise and just lick an aspirin tablet every day?

The truth is that the correct answers to these questions are still evolving.… Read the rest

For those of you who have read my book, Concierge Medicine, you will recall that I talk about health as an asset. To be more precise, your health should be viewed as your most precious asset – something that needs constant attention, just like your financial portfolio.

In performing “health valuations,” I focus on two critical areas; a person’s body weight (or body composition) and their level of fitness. These two metrics tell me a lot about how your body is able to perform and how it will serve you in your retirement.… Read the rest

The following blog post originally appeared as Dr. Knope’s October 2011 edition of The Pearl, his monthly email newsletter. To subscribe, click here.

Welcome to our new monthly medical newsletter, The Pearl. Over the past couple of months, I’ve asked many of you to tell me what you want from future newsletters. Several of you said that you wanted a shorter, more frequent letter, preferably sent via e-mail.

In response to this request, I’ve decided that each month I will select one or two medical questions that I believe to be important to you.… Read the rest